100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (2024)

Published: · Modified: · By: Beth Klosterboer · Commission earned on paid or sponsored links.

You don't need a thermometer to make amazing fudge. These easy fudge recipes are made using just a few ingredients and have a smooth and creamy texture and a delicious flavor that rivals any old fashioned fudge.

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (1)

If you are tired of standing over a pot of boiling sugar trying to make fudge only to have it never set up or to become grainy and gritty after it does set up, you will love these easy fudge recipes.

Easy fudge takes minutes to make using just a few ingredients, tastes great, has a smooth and creamy texture, and is never gritty or dry.

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (2)

I love making easy fudge and I've shared over40 fun and easy fudge recipes including Fudge Christmas Trees, Fudge Rocks, and Fudge Topped Pink Fuzzy Slipper Cookies, here on Hungry Happenings.

Back in 2018, I teamed up with my friend, fellow food blogger, cookie decorator, and fun food creator, Meaghan Mountford, of The Decorated Cookieto create a recipe website dedicated to easy fudge recipes.

To date, we've shared over 70 recipes atHowToMakeEasyFudge.com.

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (3)

We've had so many of our readers ask for a printed cookbook of our recipes and we are happy to announce that our book is now available!

How To Make Easy Fudge BOOK

You can find all of our easy fudge recipes on our website, but if you prefer an easy to read ad-free version of the recipes, you can purchase our new book, How To Make Easy Fudge.

The book features 60 delicious fudge recipes from HowToMakeEasyFudge along with tips for making, storing, and decorating your fudge.

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (4)

As I mentioned, all of the simple fudge recipes that are in our book along with video and step-by-step tutorials are available on our HowToMakeEasyFudge website too. Including some of these basic fudge recipes.

chocolate fudge

To make easy fudge you start with dark, milk, or white chocolate then blend it with thick and sticky ingredients like sweetened condensed milk, frosting, Nutella, jam, fruit curd, nut butter, and more.

Some of our recipes are made using just two ingredients but you'd never know it because the flavor is outstanding and the texture is velvety smooth.

sweetened condensed milk fudge

  • To make sweetened condensed milk fudge you simply combine dark, milk, or white chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk.
  • Then melt them in the microwave or on the stove-top (in a double boiler - a heat-safe bowl resting over a saucepan of simmering water).
  • Then you pour the fudge into an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan lined with non-stick foil or lightly-greased parchment.
  • Chill for 2 to 4 hours until well set or allow the fudge to cool at room temperature for about 8 hours.
  • Cut into squares and serve.
  • That's it!

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (5)

All of our recipes use this same basic premise, but we got creative using other ingredients instead of sweetened condensed milk. Plus we've added lots of yummy mix-ins to create these delicious fudge flavors:

more fudge basics

For more tips and tricks on how to make easy fudge, check out our fudge FAQ page. There you'll find answers to questions:

  • How do I freeze fudge?

  • Why is my fudge too soft?

  • Why is my fudge too dry or grainy?

  • How do I prepare the pan for fudge?

  • What type of chocolate do I use?

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (6)

Flavored White Chocolate Fudge

Can you believe you can make caramel fudge or maple fudge using just two ingredients? Yes, it's true! You start with white chocolate then add maple syrup or caramel sauce. It's so easy!

The pumpkin fudge and walnut fudge use a few more ingredients but they are really simple to make too.

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (7)

Peanut Butter Fudge Varieties

If you have ever used my peanut butter fudge recipe to make plain fudge or a Peanut Butter Fudge Starfish, adorable Peanut Fudge Filled Chocolate Easter Bunnies, or Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Fudge Hearts, then you'll know that peanut butter, white chocolate, peanut butter chips, and a pinch of salt make incredibly delicious fudge.

I used that same recipe to make some of these:

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (8)

Unconventional Fudge Flavors

Some of these fudge varieties are made using ingredients like cashew butter, cookie butter spread, or even cookie dough, while others are made using butterscotch and caramel chips. We've found so many ways to make really delicious fudge using just a few ingredients.

I think you'll be surprised when you try these fudge varieties.

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (9)

Fruity Fudge

Can you believe you can use jam or fruit-flavored ice cream toppings to make fudge? Or, how about fruit-flavored curd? I know you will really love the fresh fruit flavors.

Check out these fruity flavors.

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (10)

Boozy Fudge

For grown-ups only, try these boozy fudges!

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (11)

Fun Fudge

Fudge doesn't have to look ordinary. You can brighten it up by adding coloring and sprinkles and you can even decorate it to look like bears, unicorns, and more.

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (12)

Christmas Fudge

Christmas is the most popular time of year to make and give fudge and we've created some delicious and festive recipes.

Some of the holiday fudge recipes are published here on Hungry Happenings while others are on our How To Make Easy Fudge site.

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (13)

Halloween Fudge

It's so much fun to create fudge for other holidays too, like Halloween.

  • white chocolate brains filled with peanut butter fudge and jelly
  • Nutella fudge witch hats
  • chocolate-coated peanut butter fudge black cat pops
  • chocolate peanut butter fudge cauldron lollipops
  • cookies and cream fudge tombstones
  • emoji ghost fudge
  • Jack Skellington fudge
  • zombie fudge

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (14)

Valentine's Day Fudge

  • poop emoji fudge
  • conversation heart fudge
  • fudge hearts
  • cherry cola fudge
  • milk chocolate caramel fudge bears
  • "you rock" fudge
  • chocolate peanut butter fudge bears
  • strawberry frosting fudge
  • buckeye bears
  • Valentine's Day sugar stamp fudge
  • emoji fudge with heart eyes
  • chocolate-dipped peanut butter fudge hearts

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (15)

Easter Fudge Recipes

  • sugar-free fudge bunnies
  • hatching chick fudge
  • chocolate caramel fudge bunnies
  • chocolate Easter Bunnies filled with fudge
  • Reese's fudge Easter bunnies
  • chocolate ganache covered peanut butter fudge bunnies
  • orange fudge carrots

100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (16)

Other Holiday Fudge

  • fudge shamrocks
  • chocolate caramel fudge turkeys
  • milk chocolate fudge turkeys (recipe coming to HowToMakeEasyFudge.com soon)
  • fudge footballs
  • fudge football jerseys
  • fudge basketballs
  • fudge apples
  • red, white, and blue fudge stars
  • fudge serenity stones

I hope you found some delicious fudge recipes that you'd like to try on this list. Enjoy!

  • Author
  • Recent Posts

Beth Klosterboer

Hi, I'm Beth Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com

Latest posts by Beth Klosterboer (see all)

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100 Easy Fudge Recipes - no thermometer needed! | Hungry Happenings (2024)

FAQs

How do you know when fudge is ready without a thermometer? ›

Even without a candy thermometer, you can still check if the fudge is cooked by doing a cold water test. Drop a piece of hot fudge into a glass filled with ice water. It should form a soft ball that can easily flatten between your fingers.

What is the secret to good fudge? ›

Tips for Making Fudge
  • Monitor the Temperature with a Candy Thermometer. If you end up with soft fudge that turns into a puddle in your hands or hard fudge that is a bit reminiscent of a crunchy candy, improper temperature is likely to blame. ...
  • Avoid Stirring Once the Mixture Comes to a Simmer. ...
  • Beat Thoroughly.
Mar 8, 2023

What is the secret to smooth fudge that is not gritty? ›

Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.

Why didn't my homemade fudge set? ›

The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.

Should I stir fudge while boiling? ›

Stir the ingredients to dissolve the sugar until the mixture comes to a boil. If your recipe uses milk, stirring will keep the mixture from curdling. But once it reaches about 236–238 degrees F/113–114 degrees C (the "soft-ball" stage), do not stir it or even shake the pan.

How do I know if my fudge is going to set? ›

Remove the ball from the water and check its consistency with your fingers. For perfect fudge, the syrup should form a soft ball that can be picked up, but easily flattened. If the syrup is undercooked, drops of syrup will sink to the bottom of the glass in threads or simply dissolve.

Can you mess up fudge? ›

Grainy Fudge

The sugars probably crystallized, a common mistake when making candy like fudge or caramel. If the melting sugar splashes onto the sides of the pan, it turns back into crystals and causes the fudge to seize up. To avoid this issue, swirl the pan instead of stirring it with a spoon.

What does soft ball mean when making fudge? ›

making of fudge

termed in kitchen parlance the soft ball stage, that point between 234 and 240 °F (112 and 115 °C) at which a small ball of the candy dropped in ice water neither disintegrates nor flattens when picked up with the fingers.

What makes fudge firmer? ›

If your fudge fails to harden in the fridge, it means that you probably didn't cook it to the right temperature. Fudge is a candy, and that means it is extremely picky about temperature - fudge must be cooked to precisely 237–239 degrees Fahrenheit so that sugar forms the desired consistency when cooled.

Why is my old fashioned fudge not hardening? ›

You didn't cook it long enough. Fudge needs to be heated to the "soft ball" stage. It is salvageable, but you'd have to be very careful of sugar crystallization. If you make a mistake you'll wind up with a grainy mess.

Can I fix fudge that didn't set? ›

OPTION 3) Sieve together some powdered sugar and cocoa powder, and gradually work this into your unset fudge until it reaches the consistency of dough, then roll out and cut into squares, or shape into balls and then roll in powdered sugar (roll the balls in icing sugar, not yourself).

What went wrong with my fudge? ›

If your fudge is tough, hard, or grainy, then you may have made one of several mistakes: You may have overcooked it, beaten it too long, or neglected to cool it to the proper temperature.

Why does my fudge fall apart when I cut it? ›

Overcooking or Undercooking:Solution: Cooking the fudge for too long or too short a time can affect its texture. Follow the recipe instructions closely and use a timer to avoid overcooking.

Why does my fudge crumble when I cut it? ›

The ingredients for fudge are combined and cooked to 234 degrees, cooled to 110 degrees without stirring, then beaten until creamy. Candy that isn't cooked long enough will end up too soft; overcooking makes fudge crumbly or hard.

How long do you boil fudge to get to soft ball stage? ›

How long does it take to make fudge:
  1. about 18 min to reach boiling.
  2. about 40 minutes to reach soft ball stage.
  3. 60 minutes to cool.
  4. 28 minutes to beat in a KitchenAid (your time for this may vary)
  5. 4 hours to set.

What can I use if I don't have a candy thermometer? ›

For the Cold Water Test: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the syrup (candy mixture) is dropped from a clean spoon into a small bowl of very cold water (not ice cold). Quickly examine and/or carefully pick up the sugar from the cold water. The firmness of the sugar indicates the highest temperature the syrup reached.

How can I check my temperature without a thermometer? ›

If you do not have a thermometer

Touch your chest and back. If they feel hotter than usual, you may have a high temperature. Touch is the least accurate way of checking a temperature. You may also have other symptoms such as feeling shivery (chills).

What should fudge look like after beating? ›

The fudge is then beaten as this makes the fudge slightly crumbly rather than chewy. Beating the mixture encourages the formation of small sugar crystals, which leads to the crumbly texture. The crystals may not be noticeable in themselves but the fudge mixture will thicken and turn from shiny to matte in appearance.

How long does fudge have to sit before you can cut it? ›

Pour Fudge into Prepared Pan

Once the fudge has thickened and the nuts are added, pour the fudge into the prepared pan. Allow it to set at room temperature until firm, about three hours or overnight.

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